Caption: Asian water buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis). The water buffalo has been domesticated for over 5000 years. It provides milk, leather, meat, ghee (clarified butter) as well as being used as a beast of burden whose working life can be up to 11 years. It gets its name from its habit of escaping from insects by submerging itself in water except for its nostrils. It is native throughout Asia, but its resilience can be testified to its worldwide distribution, apart from arctic regions. It is thought to be a poor breeder, but this is often due to an inadequate diet and young are prone to a high mortality rate. Photographed in Munte, Sumatra, Indonesia.